Be Strong
by Band Tash LGBT
Summary: It's an OUAT AU. #AntiBullying story. Based on true events. When Henry takes his own life because of being bullied, and Regina finds out from a reliable source that the Principal of the school let it happen, she takes things in to her own hands. Her mission; get the Principal fired, and have more strict rules about bullying.
1. Chapter 1

_**The following story is based on real events. Trigger warnings are deeply in effect.**_

Henry Locksley walked along the halls of his high school. He was in his last year here in Newport High, and he believed it couldn't have come soon enough. But it was only day one of school which meant a complete year if bullying and being made to feel small. People had constantly reminded him that the ones doing it only did it because they were insecure about their own lives and wanted him to feel the same. Well, it worked. And having Victoria Belfrey as a Principal again didn't help matters. She was the type to just look past all the bullying thinking it was character building. Henry knew otherwise though. Bullying never built character. It was a poison to your brain and heart that spread throughout your entire body and made you feel numb. Casualties even occurred from time to time.

Sure, Henry had a good life back home. His mom, Regina was caring and kind. His father Robin, was almost the hero type. Both parents always knew the right thing to say but sometimes when he needed to hear it most, they weren't around. Then there was his younger brother, Roland. He was nine and such a loving, caring kid. Henry felt as though it was only a matter of time before people began making him feel like this as well, and that made Henry feel even worse. Henry walked down the halls the same as he did every single day of his high school life. On the alert and afraid of what someone would say next. Trying his best to avoid those who liked to make him feel small.

That wasn't always easy though. Especially when the biggest bully of all knew exactly where his locker was at. Henry turned the corner and walked over towards his locker when he saw Nick leaned up against it with a cocky grin. He knew what was coming next but he completely ignored him. "Hey Locksley." Nick said, not letting Henry go to his locker. "I heard that you finally started menstrating over the summer. Good for you. You're finally becoming a woman."

As cruel as it seemed, this was actually weak for Nick. Henry shook his head and pushed Nick aside to get to his locker. "If that's a sign you want to sleep with me, I'm not interested." Henry said as he spun the dial of his locker.

Nick turned Henry around with a look of anger on his features but it quickly contorted to his cocky grin again and he straightened Henry's shirt up for him. "You're just not my type, Locksley." Nick said as Henry cocked a brow, "You're one of those little girls that won't even put on a tampon and it's just sickening."

"What are you talking about?" Henry asked but no sooner were the words out of his mouth, that Nick moved and his best friend, Paige, threw a cup full of red paint on to the front of Henry's pants.

Everyone around began to laugh and Henry was humiliated. But, to their dismay, Ashley Boyd the Guidance Councellor had just come around the corner and caught it all. And when tears began to form in Henry's eyes everyone laughed harder. "Someone get Henry some chocolate. She's gonna cry!" Nick yelled above the laughter and torment.

Ashley rushed over and took Henry by the arm as she ushered him away from the group. She wanted to get him away before the situation worsened. Ashley led Henry down to the Principal's office and sat him down outside the door before walking in. "Mrs Belfrey?" Ashley said as Victoria looked up from her file, "I need a word."

Outside the door, Henry could hear every word spoken inside. "Seriously, Miss Boyd, first period hasn't even begun yet." Victoria said.

As she spoke those words, Henry's phone chimed with a notification. He took it out and looked, seeing a blog he was tagged to and pressed play as Ashley explained what had happened to the Principal. It was a video of the front of his pants, covered in the red paint. The description of the video saying, _'Apparently, Henry's mommy needs to buy him more absorbable tampons.'_ And had comments underneath like, _'What a loser.'... 'If I were him, I'd kill myself'_ and, _'He should kill himself.'_

Henry stuffed the phone back in to his pocket just as he heard Mrs Belfrey's response to Ashley inside the office. "Just ignore it, Ashley. They are kids and kids can be cruel."

With those words, Henry grabbed his bag and left. He wasn't going to class, and he wasn't staying on the grounds. He was going home where he knew his mother and father wouldn't be, because they would both be working. "Kids can be cruel?" Ashley asked with a cocked brow and then shook her head, "And what are you doing to stop it?"

"You need to learn when to hold your tongue if you want to continue working here, Miss Boyd." Victoria stated, firmly.

"Maybe I don't want to continue working here." Ashley said and now Victoria was quiet. "I quit."

And before Victoria could say another word, Ashley was out the door. Her eyes wandered the area for Henry and no signs of him. Henry had made his way home, throwing all of his things to the side as he stamped up the stairs and in to his parents bedroom. He went in to their bathroom and opened up the medicine cabinet, taking out about five bottles of pills, and going under the sink for the small bottle of Drano. Henry then went to his room, and fired up his laptop. He set down all the pills and everything down before going in to the same site that was used to put up the video of him. He looked at the time and when he saw it was between classes he hit 'live video' and everyone got the notification. It took no time for the count to be up to twenty just looking at the stony expression on Henry's face.

It took him a moment before he began to speak. "Kids can be cruel." Henry started off with, a small laugh ushering from his lips. Violet, the one friend he had, looked over another students shoulder to watch Henry. She had been wondering where he was all period. Henry continued; "Its a saying that came out to prove the laziness of adults. It's their way of saying, they don't want to help. And making us think it gets better in time. But, it doesn't. I see this woman all the time, and she bullies my mom. All because my mom got the man she had always wanted and she has kept it up since mom and dad were together. Bullying doesn't stop. And the one doing it doesn't care who they are hurting. I know more people go through bullying then the ones who are doing the bullying but I can't do this. Not forever. I'm not as strong as my mom, or everyone else who has to go through it. I can't do it. And to those I love and who love me? I'm sorry."

At this point, Henry grabbed the pills and opened up the bottles. He poured them all in his mouth and drank them all down with the Draino. Gasps and whispers filled the halls of the school. Cries were heard, and skeptical remarks about whether or not it was real. Violet knew it wasn't something staged so she quickly took out her phone and dialled Henry's cell. The ringing of the phone heard loud and clear over everyone's speakers but he didn't pick up. And as everyone watched on, Henry began coughing up blood before moving out of the camera's lens. Violet hung up after reaching voice mail and yelled out for someone to call 9-1-1, while she dialled Regina.

Regina had been in the middle of an important business meeting when her phone rang, and everyone in the board room looked towards her. "I'll just shut that off." Regina said as she took out her phone. Before she could turn it off, she saw that it was Violet and thought it strange for her to be calling. So before she could even think it through, Regina answered the phone and put it up to her ear. "What is it Violet?" Regina asked, and she could hear the panic and cries in the background. It made her stomach twist.

"Henry just did a live video blog." Violet cried in to the phone, "Regina, he took a bunch of pills and washed them down with Draino!"

It all echoed in Regina's mind. This had to be a prank, right? "Mrs Locksley?" She heard her boss speak, everyone there looking towards her with concern.

"Family emergency." Regina said as she stood from her seat and hung up her phone.

Regina rushed out the door. On the way she called Robin and told him he needed to get home now. They had a situation that needed to be dealt with. In Regina's mind, it was helping Henry. Taking him to the hospital, helping him get better and talking him through it all. Her heart was not prepared for what she was about to endure. Regina ran in to the house, the ambulance parked in her driveway. The door ajar from them going inside. "Henry!" She screamed out before running up the stairs.

When she entered his room, the sight of him laying on the ground made her fall to her knees. She heard one of the paramedics call it and say there was nothing they could do. Regina crawled over to her son's lifeless body and put a hand to his once beating heart. Tears left her eyes and ran down her cheeks like thick, wet sheets. Regina laid her head to his chest. "I'm so sorry." Regina kept repeating, as though she could have helped what happened.

Regina didn't want to let go. Didn't want to move and she didn't. Not for the paramedics. It wasn't until Robin walked in, that she finally stood and ran in to his arms. The tears quickly came to Robin's eyes as well. Shock setting in but still protectively wrapped his arms around his wife. Holding her tight and watching as they put Henry in to a body bag. When Regina went to look, Robin put a hand to her head and gently kept her head to his chest. Not wanting her to see this. He didn't even want to see it, or believe it. Their son gone, because of kids doing what they thought was fun.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina stood in her kitchen, her hands shaky and on her counter top in support. Today was her son's funeral. Her son. The same person she had carried for nine months and learned to love before he even existed. The boy she watched grow in to a teenager. A loving and respectful teenager who didn't deserve any of this. Now he had been taken from her. Regina had dreamed of that day when he would grow up. The day he would leave for college. Get married and have children of his very own. And it was all taken from him. Yanked out from beneath his feet like a rug but it was Regina's stomach that did the flipping inside. Sure, it was Henry's choice to do what he did but to be bullied so badly that it would even have to be a choice in the first place?

The thoughts fogged Regina's mind and she closed her eyes. Her hands turned to tightened fists and the pain that ached hard started from her heart and spread throughout her body. Tears threatened to come out and she fought against them so hard that two small screams ushered from her lips. Robin had been up in Roland's room helping his youngest get ready for Henry's funeral when they both heard the set of small screams. They looked towards the door and then Roland looked back to his father. "Is mommy going to be okay?" Roland asked, concern laced in his tiny little voice.

Robin looked back to his son and ran a gentle hand through his dark locks. If he were to be completely honest with his son right now his response would have been that he didn't know. Henry was a creation of their love, and the love for Henry was unbreakable. To feel that type of love was only ever for ones child and it was an enormous loss. But, he knew if he said that, that Roland would lose hope. And if he wanted Regina to feel better then Roland would need hope. "She will be." Robin spoke, deciding to use honesty without telling Roland everything that crossed his mind, "Your mother is the strongest person I have ever met in my life. She has us, and she knows that. Will she ever be the same? Probably not. None of us will. But, her love for you will always remain the same."

Roland seemed to be happy with the response as he nodded his head and forced a smile for his father. "Okay daddy." He said.

"The most important thing right now, is to be there for one another." Robin finished as he looked towards the door again, "Which is what I am going to do right now. I will be right back."

Robin headed towards his son's bedroom door and out in to the hall. Another small scream echoing through and it made Robin change from a fast walk to a run. He ran down the steps and in to the kitchen where Regina stood with her back towards him. Robin looked at the counter and just below her balled up fists was a small bit of blood on the white marble counter. Robin rushed to her side and took her hands, straightening them once again and then pulling Regina close to him. And now, no matter how much Regina tried to hold back, she couldn't. The tears flowed freely from her eyes once again.

 _ **Be Strong**_

Robin had let Regina cry in to his shoulder for ten minutes before taking her to the bathroom and cleaning up her hands. He then finished helping Roland put his clothing on. Henry's funeral had a huge turn out, and if he knew how much he was actually loved, they doubted they would all be here right now. They would be sitting at home as a family. Perhaps, watching television or playing games. Maybe just all doing their own thing and taking advantage of the days that were so short. Not knowing when it would all end, but never expecting it to be so soon. Always being the ones on the outside reading of tragedies and feeling bad for all involved never once thinking that someday it could be them.

Once the funeral had ended, there was a wake down in the basement of the church. Pictures sat all around of the boy Henry was. His friends and family coming in, hugging Regina, Robin and Roland, telling them how sorry they were and if they needed anything to never hesitate to ask. It wasn't until Regina's older sister Zelena came over and said those words that Regina took advantage of it. "Actually," Regina said to the red head, "I need to go through Henry's stuff and I think it's going to be an extremely hard couple of days for both Robin and I to sort it."

Zelena knew what Regina wanted before it was even asked, so she nodded her head. "You want me to take Roland for a couple of days?" She asked, just to make sure she was right. When Regina nodded her head Zelena smiled. "I would be more then happy to." She responded, "He and I can have an amazing time just watching movies and playing video games."

"I think right now, he needs that." Regina said as she let a small smile take form on her lips, "Thank you, Zelena." Regina leaned in and hugged her older sister.

Once the line had died down, Ashley looked over towards the Locksley parents. She swallowed thickly, wondering if she should go over and say what it is she needed to say to them. About how the Principal of the school refused to do anything about the bullies and how she ran her school. "They need to know." She told herself before finally walking over towards them. "Mr and Mrs Locksley?" She said to catch their attention.

Both Robin and Regina turned towards the blond. "Yes?" Robin asked, waiting for another condolence message to part way from this girl's lips. What she was about to say, he nor Regina, were mentally prepared for.

"My name is Ashley Boyd." Ashley began, "And until just the other day, I worked at the high school Henry attended. I saw the video that those bullies made as soon as it was posted. I brought it to the Principal's attention and all I got was, well... being told to ignore the whole situation."

Regina and Robin's eyes narrowed. Did they just hear this correctly? This girl went to the Principal and told her everything that was going on and she did nothing about it?! How could one turn their heads at such cruelty? Did some adults really forget what it was like to be a kid? Forget what it was like to be impressionable? Sure, adults knew that the world was cruel and no matter where you go in life cruelty will follow you. But it is getting through those learning years that is hard which is why they need an adults guiding hand. Not to get turned away. Especially when you are the only one who can do something about it! "She did nothing?" Robin asked.

Ashley shook her head. "The only reason that video is off of YouTube is because it was reported by a lot of people. None of which, were her." Ashley said, leaving out the part that people had reported it because it was the cause of a boy's suicide.

Regina felt the rage course through her veins and throughout her whole body. And when she got home, that rage began to show. Having asked Zelena to take Roland right away and they would drop off his clothes later. Regina stormed through the door and if Robin hadn't been right behind her, she knew she would have slammed it so hard that the glass in the window would have shattered. "People need to know about this!" Regina exclaimed, as Robin walked in behind her.

Robin closed the door and looked over towards his wife. "How?" He asked, even though he wanted it public just as much as she did.

"The local papers, news, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook... You name it! She is not getting away with this." Regina spoke firmly as Robin just stood and listened to his wife's plan, "I don't care how long it takes, or how much money I have to put out. I don't care if I cause a shit storm so badly that the teachers decide to strike. If the school closes. If she did this to my son I can guarantee that she is doing it to someone else's. And no one deserves to go through this pain. I am going to make sure this woman is fired. And I am going to make sure that bullying in schools? Is never ignored again!"


End file.
